Tuesday, January 01, 2008

The job description...

Shall we?

Before considering supporting a candidate for any elected office this bitch likes to remind myself what my role is as a voter. That role is of interviewer and investigator (dare I say decider (wink)) of any and all candidates for the elected office they seek.

Come November of this year, a bitch and my fellow Americans will be asked to extend a job offer to candidates for everything from President of the United States to Governor to local city official. That's why this bitch takes careful note of the various job descriptions...who has fuck up the job and who has done the job justice...before I decide a damn thing or settle on a single candidate.

First up, the job of President of the United States of America!

Confessional - a bitch is always amazed that this job gets so many applicants since it's thankless and full of stress and drama, but...well, this bitch's nightmare is another person's dream come true.

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Okay, got that shit.

The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.

No raises or side deals or speaker fees.

Ouch.

But fuck it, they don't have to pay rent or for meals and travel or shit like that.

Alrighty, then...continue!

Before he (or she) enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Oh my! Now that is interesting. Why oh why do some folks running for office think it is more important to protect the masses than uphold the rule of law and govern based on the Constitution? Mayhap they are running for some other office...kind of feels like some of them are applying for President with the hopes of changing the job into Ruler of the Known Universe?

Cough.

Now, I know in these times of war it is frightening to some to imagine holding the Constitution above the protection of the masses, but the greatest threat to our national security is the willful disregard of the law of the land...and you can bet your ass the founders knew that shit and considered it when they signed off on the Constitution.

And the rest of it?

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

Got that.

And?

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

And last but not least?

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Whew!

That's some job description but that's the job we the people should be interviewing the candidates for.

Funny thing is, this doesn't read like the job most of them are running for.

See in my mind while I was reading this, I envisioned an electoral version of "To Tell The Truth," with three candidates all standing up, stating that THEY are the President of the US of A, and, "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States..."

The election dynamics here are interesting for the Democrats. If Hillary wins, Obama and Edwards are through and they know it. Obama is pissed about Hillary's Dirty Tricks and is beginning to mention it. The way he's courting Republicans, it wouldn't surprise me if he hasn't a deal in place to protect himself against Hillary. If Obama is smart, he should also be cutting deals with Edwards because of Hillary's history.

We saw what happened to poor Al Gore in 2000 when Hillary withheld her support. We also saw what happened when Cinton Operative Dan Rather leaked those phoney papers to be deliberately caught, therby putting the hoodoo on Kerry. How else do you explain Kerry's three Debate Victories against Bush, yet loosing the Election? Don't forget that Hillary's Operatives got Howard Dean on tape in that "I had a Scream" Speech. In some quarters, Howard Dean has been nicknamed "Deanie Wienie".

Good links you posted in the last set of comments. I still think the primary system is messed up, as many Americans never get to vote for their candidate as the "winner" is selected early in Feb. Heck the "winner" may be known before Super Tuesday. But that is neither here nor there.

You are correct about the job description. But nobody else knows any of that stuff. People just want to be told what they want to hear.

Sometimes I wish I could just switch my brain off - so that I would not think so much. Then I could be just like everyone else.

So they promise everything. And they deliver very little.

And NOWHERE in that job description are the words "commander guy" or the word "decider" mentioned. Someone ought to send a memo to the current office holder.

But that would be a waste of time. I doubt he would be able to read and comprehend it.

Don't get me wrong here - by no means will I vote for any Republicans. But that does not mean I am super happy with the other choices.

Sadly, it seems, the current occupant of theWhite House obviously went to the wrong job application window. (--Just a mistake folks, move along. Nothing good here to see--just a man destroying the fabric of everything this country is based on . . .)

Anon 1 - how would I explain Kerry's loss with his clear debate victories? (debating Bush and saying you won is like a professional athlete competing in the special olympics and then trying to get on the box of Wheaties)

OHIO VOTING IRREGULARITIES. Some funny business went down there. But because Kerry quickly dropped the subject, the wind was taken out of the sails. The issue just died.

Oh yea and 53 million people that for whatever reason voted Bush. Even if he can not put together one proper sentence in English - while all his supporters bitch and cry about Mexicans who can not speak English either. Mexicans were born speaking Spanish, yet a lot of them learn English. Might not be perfect, but it is also not their native language.

What the hell is Bush's excuse? He was born here. I would think that someone running for President would at least have high school debate team verbal skills. At least. Maybe we can add that little additional qualification to the Constitution? Candidates for President must pass a college level English exam, which is to include an essay written by hand with no outside help save for a dictionary and thesaurus. Essay topics will not be known in advance.

Anyhow - I have no clue who will win. I do not trust the Republicans running. I am not jumping for joy over any of the Democrats, but I think the three front runners would do an OK job. I think Hillary has the most ambition and drive - which gives me reason to distrust her more than Obama or Edwards. But we shall see. I think that whoever wins the first two primaries will take the nomination, even before Super Tuesday. If the same person wins both that is.

If it looks like my primary will count (Florida) then Ill stand behind one candidate and vote for them. Otherwise, I will just vote for whoever has the D by their name on the big day in November.

ABB- Thanks for the info on the primaries. My god reading that was stressful because it seems like instead of helping the democratic system that these primaries hinder it. Everything is becoming too exclusive and based on all these small steps that lock entire groups of people out. A good question to ask it how we can fix it. I would love to start a list of ways to make things better.

1. Everyone in the running has a chance to way on the questions being asked in the debates.

2. Town Hall type meeting once people are elected so they have to report back to the people. Not just reporting to reporters or to TV cameras. Elected officials should have to face the people whose lives they effect

3. Get rid of the primaries they taint the process

Those are my three items. If you or readers of this blog would like to add to my three cents I'd love to see what others are thinking.